Road joint forming means and constructions making use thereof



Dec. 8, 1936 F, PA KE 2,063,749

ROAD JOINT FORMING MEANS AND CONSTRUCTIONS MAKING USE THEREOF Filed Feb. 6, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY.

F. O. PARKER Dec. 8, 1936.

ROAD JOINT FORMING MEANS AND CONSTRUCTIONS MAKING USE THEREOF Filed Feb. 6, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Pastas Dec. 8, i936 PATENT OFFICE ROAD JOINT FORMING MEANS'AND CON- STRUCTIONS MAKING USE THEREOF Frank 0. Parker, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Acme Steel & Malleable Iron Works, Inc., Bufl'alo, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 6,1935, Serial No. 5,187

13 Claims.

The present invention relates to joint forming means for use more particularly in road or highway constructions and more particularly relates to longitudinal joint supports, that is to supports which are located along the longitudinal joint of a roadway and embedded in the slabs with a view to largely preventing or overcoming the tendency of the slabs or sections of the roadway.

to pull apart. The invention is deemed to be more particularly useful where the sub-grade on which the concrete slabs rest is constituted by a fill of suitable material, in which case the subgrade is not as firm and solid as where it is formed by a natural foundation which is dug embedded in the concrete slabs or sections at the opposite sides of the longitudinal joint of a roadway and which interflt or are interlocked together in such way as to materially reduce if not to eliminate the tendency of the slabs at opposite sides of such longitudinal joint from pulling away from each other and preferably at the same time to provide joint supporting means at such longitudinal joint, with a view to holding theroadway to the desired camber.

Preferably the desired objects of the present invention are carried into effect through the medium of joint supports at opposite sides of the longitudinal roadway joint which are rather similar to the type of joint supports disclosed in the applicationsof Carl C. Ahles, Serial No. 673,199, although as will be apparent herefrom the invention may be used in connection with other types of joint forming means or joint supports.

With a view to carrying out the objects of the present invention the same consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts,' both in connection with the joint devices themselves and in road constructions making use thereof, to be hereinafter described and then claimed with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of g the invention and wherein ing a, longitudinal joint forming means or support embedded in the concrete;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same broken awa across the middle of the view to indicate an indefinite length of concrete slabs or sections at opposite sides of the longitudinal joint, showing two joint suporting means embedded in the slabs, some parts being in dotted lines; I

Fig. 3 is a view taken laterally towards one side of one-of the slabs and showing the joint supports;

Fig. 4- is a perspective view showing two joint forming devices or supports separated before they are fitted or interlocked;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing two mutually cooperating joint supports locked together in position for use;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken through a concrete slab at one side half of the roadway, with one of the joint forming devices embedded therein, the other joint forming device being shown about to be applied in position to interlock with the embedded one;

Fig. 7 is a view looking down on Fig. 6 showing that the other or free joint support to be located to the right of the embedded joint support is having its foot pressed in underneath the concrete slab in the direction of the arrow, and

Fig. 8 is a view rather similar to Fig. 7 showing that the two joint supports are being engaged with each other by lateral movement of the free joint support in the direction of the arrow.

Referring more particularly to the perspective 'views Figs. 4 and 5 there are illustrated two joint supports or forming means each including an anchoring member l0 preferably in the form of a bar, a depending or abutment member I l and a supporting member or foot l2, the members Ill, I I, and I2 being preferably formed from a malleable iron casting so as to constitute a unit, the two units being adapted to be fitted the one with the other or the units to be interlocked. In Fig. 4 the two units are shown as separated the one from the other, while in Fig. 5 they are shown as interlocked in the position which they occupy when in the road.

It is preferred, although not absolutely essential that the depending or abutment members ll of the two units be each formed as disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 1482, wherein each member II has one edge I3 standing vertically with respect to the joint support when it is in use, while the opposite edge [4 is inclined with respect thereto, so as to dispose each supporting member'or foot I! asymmetrically with respect to the anchoring member it, so that when the two units are interlocked the one with the other, the depending members it will be very close together and the anchoring members iii extending practically in alignment. A head or enlargement to is formed on the outer end of the bar or rod iii and a web it is formed in the inner corner between the bar it) and the member H. The web it is made rather large because when each joint support or the unit is embedded in the concrete it is generally subjected to tension in connection with the use to which the present invention is intended to be put, and it is more desirable to have an ample strengthening web,v

such as it, at such location than in connection with joint supports for transverse joints, as disclosed in the aforesaid two applications.

Each joint forming unit or joint support is here illustrated as having a notch or recess i? in one edge of the supporting member or foot M, which recess is preferably formed directly next to the depending or abutment member i 3. By providing the recess ii the supporting foot E2 of each unit is formed with a laterally extending toe or interlocking member it, which extends in the same plane as the main body of the supporting foot. The width of each recess ii is but slightly greater than the thickness of the depending member H, as it is intended that there be an engagement of the edge portion of the depending member of one unit in the recess ll of the other unit, so that the units can be locked together as shown in Fig. 5, which is intended to be the case during and after construction of the roadway.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the joint supports or load transmitting means are shown as in the preferred using position in a road or highway, whereof the sub-grade l9 may be formed by a fill and the slab 20, 2d of concrete resting upon the sub-grade, and the road having the preferred camber. Each slab or section 20, 2t may be ten feet in width from the longitudinal joint to its edge and may have any desired length as ninety feet, more or less, all depending upon the requirements of the engineers who design the roadway to be built. The size of each supporting or load transmitting unit may be, as shown in these views, wherein each is approximately one-third of the size of the preferred full sized joint supporting unit, so that if in full size the length of each anchoring bar may be nine inches, the length of the combined joint supports across a longitudinal joint would be approximately eighteen inches.

When the load transmitting or supporting units are arranged in mutually cooperating pairs and the concrete roadway is completed, it is preferred that they be interlocked or interfitted together in the manner shown in Fig. 5, which, together, with Figs. 1, 2, and 3 indicate that the anchoring members It extend in opposite directions from the longitudinal joint between the slabs 20, 2|, the depending members Ii being located at' the joint and the supporting feet l2 extending in opposite directions in engagement with the slabs at the joint, and if desired it is obvious that the supporting feet I2 may also have an embedment in the adjacent portions of the slabs 20, 2|. Under the present invention there is an interfitting or interlocking of one of the joint units with the other joint unit of a pair, because the edge I3 01 each supporting member M will be engaged laterally in a recess ii of the other unit, which other unit by its laterally extending toe l8 engages over and behind the depending member H, so that the two units may be held together against separation longitudinally of their anchoring members iii.

It will be apparent that when the supporting units of the present invention are arranged in pairs at suitable intervals apart, say two feet, for example, along the longitudinal joint between the slabs 20, ii, the strong tendency is to hold the slabs against pulling apart, if there be such transverse stresses across the slabs as to tend to separate, and the amount of possible separation is controlled, and especially so when the joint supports are made heavy and large enough.

It is believed that the present invention will be of especial advantage and utility in connection with those roadways or highways which require a fill of loose material which of course has been rammed and packed so as to constitute a subbase onto which the concrete may be poured and then allowed to set. In such cases and wherever there is a sharp bank on the outside of the roadway there is a tendency for the outside slab to pull away from the inside slab, and in all roadways constructed with longitudinal joints it is the usual practice to first pour the concrete at one side of the ultimate longitudinal joint and allow that to set and then to pour the concrete for the section or slab at the other side of such joint, and the present invention is particularly useful when constructing concrete roads with longitudinal joints.

To illustrate how the joint units under the present invention may be engaged in pairs with the units of each pair interlocked together in connection with the usual construction method with respect to forming the concrete slabs longitudinally to provide a longitudinal joint, reference should be had to Figs. 6, '7, and 8. In Fig. 6 one of the joint supporting units is shown as embedded in a poured and set slab 20 at one side of the ultimate longitudinal joint, with the member H extending downwardly and the foot member l2 extending along the sub-grade IS in position for ultimately supporting a concrete slab such as M (Fig. 1) to be poured and set at the opposite side of the joint. Before the concrete for the opposite slab 2! is poured, and especially if the sub-grade is be formed by a fill, the free supporting unit to be engaged with the previously embedded supporting unit has its foot I! pressed into the fill as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and underneath the slab 2B- and the free unit moved in the direction of the arrow, such free unit being positioned laterally of and quite close to the embedded unit. It should be stated here that probably before this movement of the free unit takes place, a plug or filler 22 held in the recess of the embedded unit is driven out. Such filler or the equivalent should be employed and fitted into the recess of that unit which is to be first embedded in a concrete slab before the concrete for such slab has been poured, so that none -of the concrete is allowed to enter the recess.

Now that the filler 22 has been removed from the embedded joint support, the free unit may be engaged with the embedded unit after the free unit has been moved down to such position as to locate the two feet of the units in a'substantially horizontal plane, and when the recess in the free unit has been registered with the depending member ll of the embedded unit, as shown in Fig. 8, the free unit is moved laterally in the direction of the arrow so that the depending members ll of the'two units will be in complete engagement with the edgeportions i3 of the two units, the lateral movement of the free unit being continued until the anchoring members llare approximately in line with each other. when properinterlocking of the two units has been accomplished as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5, the concrete for the slab 2| may be poured around the free unit and then allowed to set inthe usual manner. Should the sub-grade not be a iill or other material which the foot I! of the free unit may be pushed into, of course a recess in thesub-grade may be cut out previously and then with suitable evident precautions the two units may be properly interlocked.

It is obvious that the invention is susceptible to more or less modification without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What -I claim as new isl. A roadway having a longitudinal joint between its slabs or sections, and joint forming means connecting the slabs across the joint and including two members anchored one in each of the opposed slabs andeach provided with a supporting foot to engage underneath a portion of the adjacent slab, and means for establishing a positive interfltting of one anchored member with the other. 7

2. A roadway having a longitudinal joint between its slabs or sections, and joint forming means connecting the slabs across the joint and including two members anchored one in each oi the opposed slabs, and means for mutually interlocking the anchored members together in opposed relation, such means being or the same construction on onev member as on the other.

3. A roadway having .a longitudinal joint between its slabs or sections, and joint forming means connecting the slabs across the joint, and including two similar units, each unit including a member anchored in one of the opposed slabs, both members at oppositesides oi the joint, and a supporting member for a slab and connected with and below the anchored member, and both supporting members extending in opposite directions away from and across the joint, and means for inter-engaging the units to prevent their relative outward movement.

.4. Road joint forming means, including a pair oi anchorable units and similar means on the two units ior mutually engaging and interlocking the units together against separation in a directiontransverse oi the ultimate joint.

5. Road joint forming means, including a pair oi anchorable units each having a recess and a toe there adjacent, each recess extending inwardly in the direction in which the ultimate joint is to extend and adapted to receivea part of one of the units, and each toe to engage such part, whereby to interlock the units against separation transverse of such ultimate joint. 1 v

6. Road joint iorming means. including a pair of separate units, each including an anchoring member, a supporting member oil'set downwardly from the anchoring'member, and a member connecting the anchoring member and the-supporting member, the supporting member lying in a substantially horizontal plane and extending irom the connecting member in opposite direction from the anchoring member and a member connecting the anchoring member and the supporting member, the supporting member lying in a substantially horizontal plane, and each supporting member havinga recess in a lateral edge thereof ior receiving the connecting member of the other unit.

8. A joint support, comprising an anchoring member, a supporting member oflset downwardly therefrom and the two extending in opposite directions, and a member connecting the aforesaid members, the supporting member extending from the connecting member to lie in a substantially horizontal plane and having a laterally extending toe atone side.

9. A joint support, comprising an anchoring member, a supporting member offset downwardly therefrom and the two extending in opposite directions, and a member connecting the aforesaid members, the supporting member extending from the connecting member to lie in a substantially horizontal plane and having a recess in one side edge.

10. A roadway having a longitudinal joint between its slabs or sections, and joint forming means connecting the slabs across the jointand including two members anchored one in each of the opposed slabs and each provided with a supporting foot to engage underneath a portion of the adjacent slab, and means for establishing at points below the anchored members and laterally o! the feet apositive interfittlng of one anchored member with the other.

11. A roadway having a longitudinal joint between its slabs or sections, and joint forming means connecting the slabs across the joint, and including two similar units, each unit including a member anchored in one of the opposed slabs, both members at opposite sides of the joint, and a supporting member for a slab and connected with and below the anchored member, and both supporting members extending in opposite directions away from and across the joint, and means for inter-engaging the units at points below the anchored members and laterally oi the supporting members to prevent their relative outward movement.

12. Road joint forming means, including a pair of separate units, each including an anchoring member, a supporting member oflset downwardly from the anchoring member and a member connecting the anchoring member and the supporting member, the supporting member lying in a substantially horizontal plane and extending from the connecting member in opposite direction to the anchoring member, and interengaging means between the units and located below the FRANKQPARKIR. 

